Children often trust others to care for their safety. As a result, they are particularly vulnerable to being hurt by adult negligence. If your child suffered harm because of another person’s reckless or careless behavior, you may be eager to take legal action against the responsible party.
However, injury cases for children are different than those involving only adults in several ways. Retaining a seasoned injury attorney with experience handling this unique type of claim could be critical to improving your odds of success. In addition to helping collect evidence of negligence, a Chardon child injury lawyer could also ensure compliance with state law at every stage of your case.
Litigable Childhood Incidents
On its own, the fact that a child was hurt as a result of an accident is not enough to justify litigation. Just like any other personal injury claim, a parent filing suit on their injured child’s behalf still must prove that a defendant directly caused them compensable damages by violating a duty of care.
However, a seasoned attorney could help Chardon parents file suit for their child’s injuries stemming from the following common incidents if caused by another party’s negligence:
- Car crashes
- Slips and falls
- Dog attacks
- Accidents caused by dangerous conditions on someone else’s property
Unfortunately, children are often more susceptible to serious injuries when involved in accidents caused by adult negligence. A local lawyer could work tirelessly to help prove negligence and pursue comprehensive compensation for losses.
Special Rules for Child Injury Claims
In many respects, state civil law is more generous regarding child injury cases than with those involving adult plaintiffs. For instance, the “attractive nuisance” doctrine often allows property owners to be held liable for injuries that children suffer while trespassing on their land, whereas they would generally not owe a duty of care to adult trespassers.
Additionally, while the statute of limitations for injury cases involving minors still sets a filing deadline of two years, the filing period does not begin until the injured child in question turns 18 years old. This deadline extension applies no matter how old the child was when they were hurt, and regardless of whether a parent is filing suit on their behalf or the child is pursuing the case themselves after they turn 18.
However, there are also several restrictions that apply specifically to these kinds of claims. For instance, a parent cannot settle a personal injury lawsuit out of court on their child’s behalf without court approval because minors cannot legally enter or consent to contracts. A well-practiced lawyer could go into further detail on the rules and regulations that may impact the proceedings of a particular child injury case in Chardon.
Seek Help from a Chardon Child Injury Attorney Today
Every parent fears their child getting severely hurt in an accident. It can be even more painful knowing that an incident could have been avoided if another adult had not been negligent. Fortunately, you may have the right to file suit on your child’s behalf for their losses and your own.
Legal support from Tittle & Perlmuter might make all the difference in the outcome of your case. An experienced Chardon child injury lawyer could persuasively demonstrate how a defendant’s negligence directly harmed your child. Call today to see what our compassionate team could do for you and your family.
